Why Are They Called the Keys
The Keys Were Originally Inhabited by the Calusa and Tequesta Tribes, and Were Charted by Juan Ponce De León in 1513. De León Named the Islands Los Martires...
Why Are They Called The Keys?
The Keys were originally inhabited by the Calusa and Tequesta tribes, and were charted by Juan Ponce de León in 1513. De León named the islands Los Martires (“The Martyrs”), as they looked like suffering men from a distance. “Key” is derived from the Spanish word cayo, meaning small island.
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How did Key West get its name?
Spanish settlers originally called Key West Cayo Hueso, which translates to bone island, referring to the bones of the Calusa Indians who had once lived in the Florida Keys. English speakers mistook Cayo Hueso, thinking it sounded like Key West and the name stuck.
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